Written by: Alaina Perez
The Ginsberg Center has a new home, the Edward & Rosalie Ginsberg Building, or the BERG as we affectionately call it
Who Belongs at the BERG?
The BERG has been built to serve community-engaged U-M students, academic partners, and local community partners. It provides a space to work with access to resources and Ginsberg staff who can help support creative ideas and collaborative solutions to address local issues in Southeast Michigan and beyond.
As the community and civic engagement hub on campus, the Ginsberg Center works with campus and community stakeholders to match their needs and interests with initiatives and projects that promote social change for the public good.
Whether it’s providing mentorship and advising to students, developing workshops and holding consultations with faculty and staff, or matching community partners with U-M stakeholders invested in their missions, the Ginsberg Center has the resources to support and sustain your work!
Check out our many Welcome Back events on our calendar!
Building with Sustainability
The BERG will be one of the first all-electric and carbon-neutral buildings on the Ann Arbor campus. It spans 11,000 square feet, hosting collaborative meeting rooms, space to support student organizations, including indoor and outdoor programming, as well as an Education garden, in collaboration with the Campus Farm.
Dave Waterhouse, the Associate Director of the Ginsberg Center, commented on the sustainability features in our new building:
We are excited that the Edward and Rosalie Ginsberg building is the first carbon-neutral ready building on campus, and that so many of the building features support the University's AND Ann Arbor's sustainability goals. We believe that the intentionality behind our building demonstrates how environmental stewardship contributes to and can support a thriving community.
Ginsberg staff have been excitedly waiting for their new workspace since construction began. The new design features will allow us to operate more sustainably in our daily work and serve as a model for others on campus to do the same.
Where Campus Meets Community
The BERG doesn’t just belong to those who already work with or for the Ginsberg Center. Rather, we hope to draw in new community-engaged stakeholders from campus and the surrounding communities to explore and experiment with ways to use the space and make it their own. We anticipate that our new thoughtfully designed home will encourage and energize conversations and connections.
Moving forward, we will continue our work as the civic engagement center at the University of Michigan, connecting students with academic and community partners, and serving as the junction where campus meets community.
Neeraja Aravamudan, Director of the Center, describes the significance of this new chapter in Ginsberg’s history:
We’re thrilled to return to the corner of East University and Hill Street, and to see students, faculty, staff, and community partners fill the building with their energy, creativity, and ideas for authentic partnerships. The new space is not only beautiful but also has multiple, flexible areas that can accommodate different access needs and modes of collaboration – from small group convos to hybrid discussions. Thanks to Bill & Inger Ginsberg’s generosity, this new building will allow us to extend the impact of the Center’s work for many years to come.
Connect with Us!
Whether you’re a student, academic partner, or community partner, we want to welcome you back to the BERG!
If you’re interested in working with us or learning more about our services, complete our Support Request Form or contact us at [email protected].